Too Much to Do on the First Saturday in June

Two things of interest and importance are happening on Saturday, June 1, and sadly they are happening pretty much the same time.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday is "The Great Oakdale Cleanup." The Friends of Oakdale Lake and the Hudson Youth Department invite folks to "roll up their sleeves, enjoy a morning in the fresh air with friends and neighbors, and help improve our local environment." The purpose of the event is to better the health of the lake and the park and to prepare for the Youth Department's annual summer camp. All supplies needed for the cleanup will be provided at the Beach House, as will refreshments and treats. Gossips has it on good authority that Tamar Adler will be cooking something to reward the volunteers at the end of the morning cleanup session. For more information, visit friendsofoakdalelake.com. 

Also on Saturday, June 1, is the ribbon cutting for the Hudson River Skywalk, "the new scenic walkway at the place where American landscape painting began," connecting the homes and studios of Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The opening day festivities begin in the morning with a Parade of Paintings, starting at each historic site and coming together at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Everyone is invited to join the parade. (Participants will receive a free Hudson River Skywalk gift.) To be part of the parade, be at Cosy Cottage at Olana at 10:30 a.m. or at the Thomas Cole house at 10:45 a.m. Click here for meeting details and to make a free reservation.   

The ribbon cutting happens at noon in the riverfront park next to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge toll plaza in Catskill. At the ribbon cutting, local students will perform "River of Dreams," an original song by Frank Cuthbert, adapted from Hudson Talbott's acclaimed children's book River of Dreams, which explores the history of the Hudson River.

The celebration continues into the afternoon, with live music and food trucks in riverfront park in Catskill until 3:00 p.m. Click here for more information about the event, including parking and shuttle buses.

If these two events haven't offered enough opportunity for food, there is yet another: Food Festival Hudson. This event, hosted by Columbia-Greene Media, will bring more than a dozen food trucks, live music, distilled spirits, and craft beer to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. More information about Food Festival Hudson is available here: "Food truck festival to roll into Hudson on Saturday."
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